Bitter Cold Nuzlocke
by Nezumimaru
Summary: Follow the journey of Thomas Black, newly licensed Pokemon Trainer, as he travels through a snow-covered Unova to become the greatest Trainer of the region. There will be laughs. There will be death. There will freezing of balls. This is a Bitter Cold Nuzlocke.
1. Bitter Cold Part 1

_Ok, Nuzlocke Written Run. This'll be the first time I'm writing one. To start out, I'd like to state the rules of my run:_

_1: If a Pokemon loses all of their HP, they die and you can't use them every again._  
_2: You can only catch the first encounter of each route/cave/town, etc_  
_ 2a: Dup Clause: Duplicates of Pokemon you have that have not died can be excluded from the 'encounter count'_

_2b:Shiny Clause: SHiny Pokemon do not count towards capture limit_  
_ 2b: Gift and in-game trades are allowed and don't count towards capture limit._  
_3: Nickname all Pokemon you acquire._  
_4: No Legendaries_  
_5: Have Fun!_

**Bitter Cold Nuzlocke**

**A Pokemon Black 2 Challenge**

Thomas Black was not happy. Here he was on a beautiful spring day with the midday sun overhead, shoveling a half-foot of snow off the walk for the third day in a row. Snow, in spring! Yeah, that would be normal in a place like Snowpoint out in Sinnoh, but this is Asperita City! The worst they should be getting at this time of year was a good rainfall, not a frikkin' blizzard.

"Fucking snow in the middle of fucking April." Thomas muttered under his breath, heaving another heap of snow off to the side. "Winter was over weeks ago! I'm sick of this bullshit." Thomas continued to grumble and moan as he shoveled the snow away, pausing only to adjust his gloves and his hat under his hood. The wind chill isn't bad so it wasn't that cold out, but Thomas kept bundled up in his winter coat and gear anyway.

Close to finishing his work, Thomas soon heard his mother calling him form the house. "Thomas! Are you almost done? I've got a surprise for you!" Thomas grunted in response and cleared the last of the snow. Shouldering the shovel he trudged back inside for this 'surprise'.

"Unless this surprise is a forecast for a month long heat wave, I don't really give a fuck." Grumbled the 18-year-old as he lowered his hood and stomped the snow from his boots. Luckily for him, his mother didn't hear his comment or else he would have had to add another quarter to the swear jar in the kitchen. "Alright mom, what's this big surprise?"

"Before that, some questions!" Mother said cheerfully, further grating Thomas's nerves. "First question: Do you want a Pokemon?"

"Well, let's see here…Hell yes!" Add one quarter to the jar. "I mean, it's not like I've been waiting for 8 fucking years for one." And another quarter to the jar.

"Second question: Do you know what a Pokedex is?"

"Uh, a Pokedex? Isn't that some fancy device that gives you info on Pokemon you've seen?"

"Correct! Third and final question: Would you like a Pokedex?"

"Um, sure? I mean I guess it could be useful…" Thomas's eyes narrowed in suspicion, arms crossed in front on him. "Why? Where are you going with this?"

"Oh, I was just wondering because I just received a call from an old friend of mine, Aurea Juniper. I swear, I haven't heard from her in ages and then just out of the blue like that…"

"Who?"

"You know, Prof. Juniper, The Unova Regional Pokemon Expert! Her assistant, a girl named Bianca, is in town right now with a set of Pokemon to give away and she wanted to let you know—" Before she could finish, Thomas had raced from the house and tearing down the street. He sped through the streets dodging snowmen and playing children enjoying another snow day from school. Thomas was a man on a mission; find what's her name and finally get his very own Pokemon!

"Hey, Thomas! Where's the fire?" Glancing to his left, Thomas saw Carl, his best friend, running alongside him, steadily keep pace. Carl's ridiculously long scarf fluttered behind him as they ran, tempting Thomas with fantasies of it getting caught on a branch and giving his spiky haired friend a good strangling.

"I'm on my way to get my own Pokemon!" Thomas said, smirking at the look of excited shock on his friend's face. "You better watch your ass Carl, 'cause you're not gonna be the big dog on campus for much longer!"

"Sweet, that's awesome! Where're you getting it?" Asked Carl. Thomas thought for a moment before coming to a screeching halt. Well almost a halt. The ice on the roads caused him to keep going until he slid hard into a brick wall. Carl had better luck stopping just before said wall.

"Uh…I don't know." Thomas confessed, brushing himself off as if nothing happened. "I just know that some chick named Bianca has some 'mons up for the taking. I guess I bolted before being told where she is."

"Well if she's new in town, then she'd most likely head to the Lookout Platform. Everyone who comes to Aspertia goes there right away."

"Lookout, got it!" Thomas sped off once again, though this time he timed his slides on the ice to better turn the corners of the streets. Carl kept up right behind him, wanting to see just what kind of Pokemon his friend was going to choose.

The Lookout Platform is the only tourist attraction in Aspertia City, and people would come from all over to gaze out and take in the beautiful sights the spot had to offer. Finding it was easy, as it was right next to the only gate in or out of the city. Thomas had to slow down on the steps leading up to the platform so as not to slip and fall again. As he reached the top, with Carl close behind him, he saw that the Lookout was vacant save for one person, a girl with a large green hat.

"Such a beautiful view…" the girl said, gazing out over the land. She wished she could spend more time out here…

"Hey you! You Bianca?" Thomas called out as he approached the girl.

"Oh! Yes, I am. Are you Thomas?" the girl asked, turning around to face him. Thomas nodded in confirmation, and Bianca smiled a welcoming smile as she brought up a small case holding three Pokeballs. "It's nice to meet you! I bet you'd like to see the Pokemon I have. I've got with me a trio of new Pokemon you can choose from; Grass-type Snivy, Fire-Type Tep—"

"Fire-type." As soon as Biance mentioned the word 'fire', Thomas knew exactly what he wanted. "Give me the fucking Fire-type." Bianca was very surprised that he had made his decision so quickly, without any perceivable thought.

"Um, are you sure? Choosing you first Pokemon is a big decision and you should really think it carefully—"

"Fuck that, give me the Fire-Type." Thomas reached out and grabbed the middle Pokeball, the one Bianca had marked as the Fire-Type. He gave a good squeeze on the ball before pressing the button to open it. In a flash of red light, a Tepig appeared form the Pokeball, gazing up at Thomas nervously. "Hell yeah! Alright pork chop, conjure me up some fire! I'm freezing my ass off."

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't know any Fire moves…" the Tepig said, her voice meek and unsure, as she took a shy half-step back and averted her eyes from Thomas's.

"What." Thomas couldn't believe what he was hearing. A Fire Pokemon that doesn't know Fire-Type moves? Was this some late-to-the-party April Fool's Joke? It so it was in poor taste.

"It's true." Piped up Bianca, kneeling down to pat the Tepig on the head. "These Pokemon are young and haven't experienced battling before. You'll need to train her a little before she learns any Fire attacks."

"Are you fuckin' me? That's bullshit…" grumbled Thomas, kicking a small bit of snow in frustration. Sighing in resignation, he knelt down next to Bianca and stared straight into Tepig's eyes. "Ok porky, you got a name?"

"A-Amber. My name's Amber." She stammered out, her eyes locked nervously with Thomas. Thomas grunted in approval and stood back up, dusting snow off his knees. At this point, Carl decided that he wanted to be part of the converstion.

"Hey, now that you've gotten a Pokemon, how about you back up what you said earlier?" Carl challenged, already bringing out his Oshawott partner out of its ball. He had to question Thomas's judgment on choosing a Tepig when they both knew that Water-Type Oshawott would have a type advantage in battle.

"You're on, you spikey hair son of a bitch. Amber here'll mop the floor with your fuckin' water-rat. Have at him, girl!" Thomas stood bold opposite Carl, tall and proud as the friends and rivals stared each other down ready to battle. Only the battle didn't start. Looking down behind his legs, Thomas saw his new partner cowering shyly behind him, plainly not keen on the concept of battling. "Amber! Get ta fighting!"

"But I've never fought before! What if I screw up?" Amber said, shrinking back further behind Thomas's legs. She really didn't want to fight so soon after just meeting her new trainer, especially against a Pokemon like Oshawott. Thomas, however, had other plans. Thomas bent down, picked Amber up in his arms and held her above his head.

"Fuck your insecurity! Tackle that bastard!" He shouted, throwing the pig Pokemon with all his might straight at Carl's Oshawott. She connected right into Oshawott's chest, and the two crashed into the ground. Slightly dazed and shocked, Amber wobbled to her feet and stumbled a few steps before realizing what she had done.

"AH! Sorry!" she said, bowing politely towards Oshawott, who had gotten back to its feet as well. "Don't apologize!" Thomas shouted at her. His shouting distracted Amber just enough for Oshawott to land a Tackle of his own on her. Amber staggered but was able to stay on her feet after the attack. Amber and Oshawott stared each other down, circling each other awaiting their next orders. Amber didn't want to start this fight, but now that it was committed she didn't want to let Thomas down by not give her all.

"Tackle!" Both trainers ordered, and both Pokemon attacked. This went on for several times, until at last, Amber remained on her feet while Oshawott laid in the snow, unable to move any longer. Thomas and Amber had won their very first Pokemon Battle.

"Booya, bitches! We kicked your ass, Carl!" Cheered Thomas, pumping his fist into the air in celebration. Amber would have joined him, but after the battle she just felt so tired. Thomas seemed to notice this and zipped Amber back into her Pokeball.

"We lost…" Carl just stared forward, unable to believe that he, the best battler in Aspertia, had just lost to a first time Trainer. Even if said Trainer was his best friend. "Damn, your first battle and you handled it like a champ! But don't think you'll win next time. Ricky and I'll get stronger by Monday and kick your ass in front of the whole school!" Carl recalled Oshawott and left. Bianca, who had remained on the sidelines for the battle, walked up to Thomas.

"Wow, was that really your first time battling? You were really good!" She said with genuine praise. Bianca then turned and quickly scanned the city, looking for a particular building. Spotting the red roof of the Pokemon Center, she motioned Thomas to follow her. "Come on, we should get Amber rested up at the Pokemon Center. I can help you set up your Trainer ID Card while we wait."

The two headed down from the Lookout, and straight to the nearby Pokemon Center. Thomas was ready to get out of the cold and welcomed the warmth of the Center as he and Bianca passed the doors. The Center was lightly populated with only a few people plus the Mart employees and one individual behind the Center's desk. It was Thomas's mother, dressed in typical nurse uniform.

"Hi Mom!" Thomas called out, head right up to the desk and handed over Amber's Pokeball.

"Hi Thomas! Found Bianca ok I see." Mama Black teased him, knowing full well that Thomas had left before she could tell him where she was. Mother took the Pokeball and released Amber onto the table behind her. "Oh such a cute Pokemon! I'll get her healed up right away!" Scooping the Tepig in her arms, Mama Black walked into the back where the healing machines were. As she left, Bianca lead Thomas off to the side to a large computer terminal next to the main desk.

"If you'll step over to this terminal, we can get your ID squared away and I'll give you a set of Pokeballs." Bianca explained the process; how to enter age, home town, starter Pokemon, and other general information needed to fill out the Trainer ID Card. He had just finished up when his mother returned with a healthy and rested Amber. Thomas was just about to return Amber to her Pokeball when the Center doors opened and in walked Carl's younger sister May. May looked around the Center with a worried expression on her face. Seeing May at the entrance, Thomas waved and called her over.

"Hey, May. What brings you here?" Thomas asked her as she approached the lobby desk.

"Have you seen my brother?" May asked him, holding out a wrist band with a video screen attached to it. "He left for training and forgot his X-transceiver. I'm worried that something'll happen and he won't be able to call home."

"That fucking moron—" Add one for the swear jar. "He'd forget his head it wasn't screwed on. I'll get it to him." Thomas took the X-transceiver from May and pocketed in his coat.

"I think he left for the Floccesy Ranch to train for the weekend. If you leave now, you might be able to get back in time for dinner."

"Got it. Come on Amber." Amber jumped down from the desk counter and followed Thomas out the door, back out into cold of day. From there it is a short walk to the city gate and out into the wide world.

Little did they know that they had just started a grand adventure.

END PART ONE

_As Pokemon are added and lost, I'll place their stats/info down here in the description, as so:_

_Starter:_  
_Name: Amber Pokemon: Tepig Gender: Female Type: Fire Level: 5_  
_Nature: Bashful Characteristic: Alert to sounds Ability: Blaze_

_And now for the trainer!_

_Name: Thomas Black Gender: Male Race: Caucasian Age: 18_  
_Appearance: Thomas wears a heavy green winter coat with a hood, as well as black gloves and boots, and a black beanie. Later on he'll be carrying a dark blue backpack to carry all his stuff around. He also wear a belt but it can't be seen due to his coat. Under the coat is a white t-shirt and jean pants._

_Personality: Thomas (don't call him Tom or Tommy, he hates that) is a short tempered youth with a mouth that can make a sailor wince. So bad is his swearing that his swear jar alone can pay for one year of his college tuition. That is if he ever wanted to go to college. He has no real desire to get an actual job and hates working, taking whatever escape he can to avoid it. But under his abrasive nature is a kind soul who despises injustice and will immediately fight it whenever he finds it. He also has a sweet tooth and loves candy._


	2. Bitter Cold Part 2

**Bitter Cold Nuzlocke**

**A Pokemon Black 2 Challenge**

**Part 2**

"Oh joy, it's snowing again. Fan-fucking-tastic." Thomas and Amber had left Aspertia City and were half way to Floccesy Town when snowflakes began fall softly from the sky. Despite the serene and calming air it created, all it did was cause Thomas to fume in frustration. "Now I'm going to have to get up early and shovel the walk in the morning. Fuck it all!"

As Thomas continued his rant under his breath, Amber quietly enjoyed the atmosphere. The gentle snow was soothing for her to watch, even if she did have difficulty walking through it after it landed. The snow kept getting deeper as they walked, forcing the Tepig to jump in and out of the snow to keep up with Thomas. All the effort took the joy out of watching the snow fall and Amber began to understand why Thomas was getting frustrated it. "I-It is rather strange weather for this time of year, isn't it?"

"Yeah it's got the weatherman scratching their heads. I think there's some big debate on why or how this is happening, but I don't follow the news." Thomas replied, looking up towards the sky. He half-hoped that the sun would poke through the ceiling of clouds above him, just once so he could remember what it looked like. But no dice. As he mind started to drift, a short grunt brought him back to reality. Looking behind him, Thomas saw Amber's backside sticking out the snow, legs kicking desperately in a vain attempt for freedom. Apparently the snow was deeper than expected and she ended up half buried.

"Fuck it, we're not gonna get anywhere with you having to jump through every snow bank." Thomas leaned over and picked Amber up out of the snow. Brushing some snow off her, Thomas then placed her on his shoulder and resumed walking. She was rather weighty for something her size, but he didn't mind it.

"Ah-um…thank you." Amber stammered out a thank you, obviously not expecting such a gesture from her new trainer. His response, on the other hand, was one she did expect from him. "Whatever."

"Hey, you think you got room for one more up there?" Stopping in his tracks, Thomas looked around trying to identify the speaker. But there wasn't anybody around. Shrugging it off as hearing things, Thomas began to keep walking. But as he did, he noticed a fuzzy dark object right in front of him that he sure wasn't there before. You'd think that a Purrloin would stand out in the middle the snow, but this one was able to avoid notice until now. She kept looking up at him, her tail swishing behind her as she waited patiently for an answer.

"And why would I want to carry you anywhere?" Thomas questioned, peering down with suspicion at the little purple cat.

On cue, the Purrloin put on the saddest, most pathetic-looking eyes imaginable, tilting her head in a heart melting way. "'Cause I'm a poor, helpless little kitty-cat out in the harsh, terrible cold." If Thomas was affected by this display of cuteness, he did his best to keep in under control. Seeing that she was going to need to take extra measures, the Purrloin rubbed up against Thomas's leg, glancing back up with her big kitty eyes. "And you're a very nice person willing to help." She added, fluttering her eyelashes to add more cute to her act.

A staring contest between man and Pokemon began, each using every ounce of willpower to not give in to the other. Thomas tried his best to keep a straight face, but those eyes…those big, green eyes seemed like they were piercing right into his very soul. The corners of his mouth twitched. He was faltering, and the Purrloin knew it. She rubbed his leg once more, purring loudly nough to be heard yet softly enough to be endearing. "Goddamn it…" the young man muttered as he grimaced over his weakness. "Whatever, you can tag along."

"Don't mind if I do!" In an instant, the Purrloin bolted up Thomas's leg and into his coat. Ignoring profane protests from her new host, she squirmed her way up the coat and popped her head out at the top, literally face-to-face with a very pissed off human.

"FUCK! You're feet are like ice cubes!" Thomas growled, glaring into eyes once cute, now mischievously arrogant.

"Well yeah, numb-nuts. I was just standing in the snow." Purrloin retorted smugly, shifting around to face forward and resting her chin on the coat's zipper. She purred contently, finally warm at last. All Thomas could do was grumble, "I'm regretting this arrangement already."

With it clear that their newest acquaintance wasn't going to move from her spot, Thomas trudged on through the snow towards Floccesy Town and the ranch beyond. It was a rather uneventful walk, as most of the wild Pokemon in the area were hiding away in warm dens. There were two exceptions: the Purrloin in Thomas's coat, and one lone Patrat that made the foolish mistake of challenging him just outside of Floccesy.

"Fuck it. Amber, take this shit out." Thomas ordered with an irritated sigh. Amber didn't respond, as she was trying to find a way off of Thomas's shoulder and back onto the ground. When she started to take too long, Thomas grabbed her around her waist and lobbed her towards the wild Pokemon. The parallel to their first battle with Carl and Ricky was not lost on either of them. Fortunately, the Tepig-Tossing maneuver KO'd the Patrat right off the bat, even if Amber ended up deep in a snow bank.

"Why do you keep doing that? You're so mean…" Amber groaned as she shook loose snow from her back. But rather than return to Thomas right away, Amber just sat in the snow with her face scrunching up in weird way, like she was trying to hold in a—"A—Atchoo!" Nope, not like, she iwas/i trying to hold in a sneeze. And as she sneezed, a blaze of fire shot out of her nostrils. A patch of dirt road was revealed in front of Amber, her sneeze instantly melting any that was there.

"Fuck yeah! You've learned to breathe fire!" Thomas cheered. With Amber able to use fire now, he'd never have to worry about freezing outside ever again.

"Yay—atchoo!—me." Amber sneezed again, and again, and again. Each time she let loose a jet of flames that melted the snow around her.

"Hmm, maybe we should get that looked at by a Nurse."

"Why? This is hilarious!" Thomas glanced down at the cat in his coat with a disapproving look in his eyes. She looked back up, slightly surprised that Thomas didn't share her amusement. Purrloin shrugged and continued her cat nap.

Thomas picked Amber up and tucked her under his arm, making sure to aim her face away from his own so he doesn't get scorched by a stray sneeze. Luckily for the both of them, the Floccesy Pokemon Center wasn't far from where they are and the walk there went uninterrupted. Once inside, Thomas went straight to the Nurse, just as Amber let out another blazing sneeze. The Nurse didn't need to be told what was wrong, and swiftly took Amber into the back to be checked out. At her behest, the Purrloin went along to make sure she didn't catch anything as well. With nothing else to do but wait, Thomas took a seat on a nearby bench. He lowered his hood and removed his beanie to avoid getting overheated while indoors. As he combed his fingers through his hair to remove any static electricity that had built up, a voice spoke up from behind him.

"Thomas Black, fancy meeting you here." Thomas jolted straight up upon hearing his name called, recognizing the voice before even seeing who it was. It was his school teacher, Alder! The former champion, the last person Thomas was expecting to see today, walked around the bench and faced Thomas with his signature ear-to-ear grin. "Where those your Pokemon? I didn't realize you had any."

"They're new. The Tepig was given to me by some broad named Bianca, and the Purrloin we just ran into on our way here." Thomas replied, glancing back at the Nurse's desk in hopes that the Nurse had returned. But she had not, so Thomas was forced to converse with Adler for the time being. It wasn't that he hated Alder; it was that the older man had a tendency to go into long, sleep inducing lectures.

"So she's your Route 19 catch then?" Thomas raised an eyebrow at Alder, not fully understand his question. Alder caught on to this and elaborated. "You do realize that Pokemon League Rules state that you can only catch one Pokemon per Route to avoid Pokemon population decline."

"No shit, really? Well, I technically haven't caught her…" Thomas admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Might be a good idea to do that. You never know when you'll find another Pokemon, so it's wise to catch at every opportunity you can get." Suddenly, Alder's face lit up as if a light bulb turned on inside his head. His grin widening impossibly further, Alder leaned over right into Thomas's face. "Say, could you do me a favor? I'm having a demonstration on Monday to help teach the younger students about Type advantages and disadvantages. I'd like if you'd participate."

"Uh...I mean I guess..."

"Great! Thank you, Thomas! Well I'd better head out and get everything prepared for class then. See you Monday!" Thomas blinked in confusion as Alder strolled casually out of the Pokemon Center. Whelp, guess he was going to help out Alder. It wasn't like he could say no anyway. But that bridge can be burned on Monday, now he has a few other things to take care of.

Soon the front Nurse returned to her desk with Amber and the Purrloin in tow. Thomas eagerly hustled up to retrieve them. The Nurse smiled warmly at him as he stepped up, saying."Here are your Pokemon! Your Tepig just had a small case of the sniffles, nothing to be worried about."

"Thanks, Nurse." Thomas said, returning Amber to her Pokeball. Why he didn't think of that before? Anyway, the Purrloin tried to reclaim her spot back in his coat but Thomas caught her by the scruff of her neck and placed her on the floor. "Hey Purrloin, you got a name?"

"Helena, why?"

"I want to change our deal." Now it was Helena's turn to eye Thomas suspiciously, not quite sure what this human was planning. Thomas continued, saying, "If you want to stay with us, you're going to have to pull your own weight. That means fucking shit up for me. I become your Trainer and you become part of the team, such as it is." Helena blinked in surprise. That seemed to be not what Helena expected Thomas to say. But it seemed like a fair trade, a warm place to stay in exchange for an occasionally battle. Hopefully he wouldn't be needing her very often…

"Hmm I may need to think about this. Stay with you and be warm, or leave and turn cold pussy. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm." Helena placed a paw on her chin in false contemplation, pretending to think over her choices even though it was obvious what she would say. "Yeah, I'll join you."

"Course you will." Reaching under his coat for a belt-latched Pokeball, Thomas clicked the button on the ball and a red beam shot out. It zapped Helena on her forehead, converting the kitty into pure energy before withdrawing her into its hold. There was no resistance, and soon Helena was officially a member of Thomas's team. Content, Thomas replaced Helena's ball back on his belt. "Now let's blow this taco stand. I want to get back home before it gets dark."

**End Part 2**

Catches This Chapter:

**Name**: Helena **Pokemon**: Purrloin **Gender**: Female **Type**: Dark **Level**: 2  
**Nature**: Bold **Characteristic**: Often Dozes Off **Ability**: Unburden


End file.
